Re: cyanotype question


Adam Kimball (akimball@finebrand.com)
Tue, 29 Jun 1999 13:53:03 -0700


Judy & all,

Well, "near miraculous" isn't easy to live up to, even for a process like the Ware
Cyano. Here is what Mike mentioned to me a few days ago:

"Are you 'developing' in water or in dilute acid? The latter provides
much higher contrast and Dmax - indeed you can control contrast this
way, as the D/logH plots in my book will show. Acid development can
reduce the negative printing density range from 2.6 to around 1.4. There
will be a change in the effective speed too."

I haven't had much success working at the 1.4-1.6 range as of yet. I've even used
a 2% nitric bath, but the range was still quite long. However, as I've said
before, paper is vitally important to contrast control as far as I can tell.
Cranes Kid (which clears and doesn't stain) prints some mammothly long scales,
Platine a bit less. I've tried other papers but can't really comment on them.

As for the intensity, my comments aren't worth very much. I've never used the
traditional method, but I've seen quite a few cyanos. The few people who have seen
some wedges and prints I've done recently all said, almost immediately upon seeing
them, that they were the richest cyanos they have ever seen. Considering I printed
these with about a day of experience, that must mean something. I don't doubt that
the traditional formula in the hands of an experienced printer could yield
breathtaking results, but judging by the looks of MOST cyanotypes I see.. these
experienced printers are few and far between. So, my advice is to work with Ware's
version initially. If you don't want to compound the sensitizer yourself, buy a
kit from someone. Or a premixed solution (though you'll pay dearly!). As far as I
know, though, Mike Ware isn't "associated" with any of the companies that are
selling.. so let it be known.

-Adam

Judy Seigel wrote:

> So with info. There are always stray particles floating in air
> unanswered. However, pending careful tests instead of the *hunch* I
> perhaps rashly draw on now, the *intensity* of the blue may be comparable,
> or at least within striking distance with an acid bath on *regular*
> cyanotype, but I gather from what you've said recently that the New
> Cyanotype is near miraculous with the SCALE or range of negative it will
> print.
>
> In which case, having an extremely difficult negative I need to print in
> cyano, guess I'll have to open one or the other of the New Cyano kits
> sitting in the hall these 2 years, in case they're still good...
>
> Details might or might not follow....
>
> Judy



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Thu Oct 28 1999 - 21:39:38